If you are the kind of person who would rather run up stairs than walk and you want to learn a classical language then these courses are for you.  Learning a language is hard work.  There is no getting around it.  But that doesn't mean you have to stretch it out over a year or more. Just like tackling a staircase you can choose to reduce the pain by taking it slow, or you can finish hard work in a hurry and enjoy the vista at the top all the sooner.  Get all the basics of Greek or Latin grammar under your belt in one week , with Greek In A Week or Latin In A Week.

What will the courses do for the student?
How do the courses work?
Instructors
Locations
Cost
Requirements
Registration

These courses push the student through all the basic grammar of Biblical Greek or Classical Latin in one week.

By the end of the final day of the week, students will be able to read a number of unedited selections, including portions of the Bible and classical authors, with some helps and reminders. The goal of the course is to acquaint the student with the entirety of basic Latin or Greek grammar. Although many points of grammar will be quickly forgotten, they are more easily recovered than learning them for the first time.  Also, having once worked through the grammar, the student will feel equipped and comfortable to work back through it on his own or as part of a tutorial, school, or home school curriculum. One of the great aspects of this type of course is that learning is guaranteed. Since all of the study (e.g. vocabulary and paradigm reviews) is accomplished under the immediate direction of the instructor it is impossible to come away from the week without a considerable understanding of basic Greek or Latin. Just as an athlete who goes to baseball camp for a week knows that his basic skills will be improved simply by the fact that he will be forced to spend so much time practicing, a student in these intensive courses can be assured of truly learning his language. To use another analogy, the course serves up pieces of grammar as if it were placing peas on the students' plates. Many peas will roll off, some more quickly than others. However, the peas will be piled on faster than than they can roll off. So by the end of the week each student's plate will be full of peas.

Class generally meets from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. each day (except Friday, which ends earlier), and is broken up by various activities. For example, a day may start with a half hour lecture, then for 10 minutes students break into small groups to drill each other on vocabulary, then they reconvene in a circle for some oral exercises for fifteen minutes, then they move to a table for some written exercises which could include writing paradigms for speed, or translating, then on to another lecture, etc. This type of format is equivalent to circuit training for the brain. We work one part of the mind and when it begins to fatigue we let it recuperate by using a different part. By the end of each day students are usually exhausted, so there is no homework.

To give you an idea of what these courses look like, here are descriptions and photos of past GIAW , Advanced GIAW , and LIAW ..

Be warned! These courses involve physical and mental pain. It's the exhilarating pain that results from being pushed beyond what you previously thought your capacity was, but count the cost before registering and physically prepare for it by coming well rested. Also, these courses may infect you with a strange geeky passion for the Classical languages, the symptoms of which can be seen in the thoroughly enthusiastic instructors.

John Schwandt teaches Greek In A Week. He is a fellow of languages at New St. Andrews College where he teaches Greek.  He is currently writing a curriculum which teaches Biblical Greek as an active conversational language.

Wes Callihan teaches Latin In A Week. He is the founder and instructor at Schola Classical Tutorials, where he teaches Latin, Great Books, and other subjects.

These summer courses are sometimes held at Wes Callihan's home , a farm in the country 15 miles north of Moscow, Idaho. Normally, high school age students board at the Callihan home, but students of any age are welcome to make other housing arrangements, especially if they have friends or relatives in the area. The Callihan farm is about 90 minutes south of Spokane International Airport (GEG) and transportation between the airport and the Callihans can be provided if needed.

GIAW and LIAW are also conducted in other locations around the country: we have conducted courses in Seattle, WA; San Diego, CA; Houston, TX; Billings, MT; and Lancaster, PA.

If you live in an area where there is enough interest to fill a class (10 or more), GIAW or LIAW can come to you! This is usually a less expensive alternative as you don't have transportation, room and board costs. We will be happy to discuss setting up a Greek In A Week or Latin In A Week in your area. Contact Schola for information.

Contact Schola for scheduled sessions in various parts of the country this summer. 

Summer 2006: Latin In A Week in Bluemont, VA and Lancaster, PA. (see registration information for these sessions below)

The tuition for all courses is $500 (except for the annual Veritas-sponsored courses in Lancaster, PA - for info, contact Veritas). These fees do not include room and board. You must include the full fee with your registration in order to be assured a seat in the class. 

Age: It is strongly recommended that students be at least 16 years old before taking these courses; adults are welcome.

Prerequisite knowledge: The courses assume no previous experience with foreign languages. However, a good grasp of English grammar is extremely helpful, and previous experience with any language, especially Greek or Latin, will also be very valuable; students with at least a little previous experience in the chosen language will profit much more than those who have none. It is strongly recommended that the student purchase the textbook well in advance and become familiar with the introductory material and work through a few of the early chapters ahead of time. Most importantly, students must be willing to give the subject their full attention and all of their energy for five days.

Materials: 

1) You will need a textbook.: for the Greek textbook, see the GIAW page.  For Latin, you will need to purchase  Wheelock's Latin, 6th edition. You should purchase them well in advance (and don't forget to bring them!). 

2) Bring a notebook and pens. 

If you are interested in a scheduled course, first confirm space availability in Latin by emailing Schola Classical Tutorials and in Greek by emailing The Institute of Biblical Greek. Once availability is confirmed, a space will be tentatively held for you until you print out, fill in, and mail along with the fee.

1. Registration form for Bluemont, VA Latin In A Week only

2. To register for Lancaster, PA Latin In A Week, contact Veritas Academy

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